S29: Development of Enzyme-Based Nanomaterial Formulations For The Selective Decontamination of Bacterial Pathogens

Bacterial diseases are a leading cause of mortality worldwide. The discovery of antibiotics in the last century has led to the development of effective treatments. However, antibiotic resistance is a growing concern, particularly in the healthcare environment, food processing/packaging, among others. We have focused on various pathogens which are considered to be the major disease causing organisms in different environmental settings such as: Staphylococcus aureus, one of the major causes of nosocomial diseases; Listeria monocytogenes, a major food borne pathogen with high fatality rate; Bacillus cereus, a food pathogen responsible for various gastrointestinal disorders; and Bacillus anthracis, a biological warfare agent that causes cutaneous, gastrointestinal, or the most lethal pulmonary infections.

Our bio-inspired approach involves the use of bacteriophage-derived cell wall lytic enzymes that can degrade the bacterial cell wall of their target pathogens and destroy the cells due to osmotic imbalance. In our present work, we have coupled this enzymatic approach with nanotechnology to develop enzyme-based nanocomposite films which are highly efficient in killing vegetative bacterial cells. The advantages of these nanocomposite films are reusability, high storage stability, and their non-leaching nature, as demonstrated by our group against different strains of MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus)

The enzymes used in our approach are derived from bacteriophages that narrowly target individual bacterial species or even individual strains. This enables specifically targeted bacterial decontamination without adverse effects on the commensal microflora.